Evil can't love
by Iremione
Summary: Let's think for a moment... Voldemort has not been ever an ugly monster. He, somehow, had to be interesting, if he gets again that charming personality... what if the less likely person joined him? SSHm, GWDM


Hello! Well, this had planned itself to be a fic where I would explain how I see Voldemort attracting followers... I'm tired of seeing him as an ugly monster whose only weapon is fear... The plan was follow the less likely person to join the Death Eaters into her mad adventure, but as always, dear Hermione took over the story and it become a Hm/SS fic... As always... my first language is not English, so sorry for mistakes. Thanks to Silverfox, who gave me the idea for this fic... hope I have always you beyond the screen!  
  
EVIL CAN'T LOVE  
  
_"And I relate to my best friend, she would advice me  
  
she broke our code and she put on her jacket  
  
now it scares me because she's really gone.  
  
And I relate to my best friend, do you remember?  
  
she was so young and now that we're burning  
  
they're scared because she's really gone..."  
  
Serenade, Dover_

_

* * *

_

"My, my, children... please, sit down to say hello our new partner..."  
  
The Dark Lord stood in the middle of his "children", smirking oddly. The nervous pack of men ad women tried to laugh at their Master's joke, but found it extremely difficult.  
  
He was nothing like what Harry had met years ago. Somehow he had a very young look. Anyone would swear that he was not a day older than thirty. He had, yet again, blue-sea eyes and soft black hair, tall and thin, but muscled and definitely handsome. Those who knew about his rebirth had the suspicion that Harry had not only passed him his protection, but his youth and strength as well. And that charming, polite look all over him, had managed to make him even more menacing, more scaring.  
  
One of the least nervous men (or maybe one of those who better knew how to hide their fear) got up at his Master's beckon.  
  
He stepped the small distance between his place in the circle and the Dark Lord too straight, for dismay of the two men who were sitting next to him.  
  
'Act naturally' they both thought frantically, with the vain hope that the thought reached the young man.  
  
"Please, Draco, our guest is in the Blue Room, can you get her? After all, she's here due to you..."  
  
A very real smirk found its way in the blonde's lips, and very naturally, his shoulders relaxed, while he whispered a loud "Yes, Master"  
  
Turning his back to the Lord, he confirmed his suspicion that his smirk had reached his Dad and his Mentor as well.  
  
Quietly, he climbed up the stairs to the foresaid room while the Lord carried on his speech. Explanations should be made.  
  
"Some of you- the intelligent ones- must be wondering who our guest is, considering the fact that I've said she's a female, and the three female pure blooded heirs supporting our cause are already in our nest. But we were lacking one heir from a very important pureblood family, and we have got her, now. She's under Mr. Malfoy Jr. tutelage and apprenticeship, he's teaching her the skills necessary for each Death Eater, but he's not exactly the only one who we owe the pleasure of her presence. Severus discovered her readiness to learn the motivations behind our cause, and the disdain to the things she had been forced to believe without explanation. He showed her the right books and led her to Draco's arms... Some of you may distrust her fidelity by the House of Hogwarts she came from, but I have reasons to believe at least her doubts about her blind beliefs. First, her House was imposed by that damn Hat due to her family's tradition... how many of you, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs wouldn't go into Hat's haunting for exactly the same reason? And second, and most important... I've been inside her mind when she was just a little silly girl, and I already saw the doubts. If we lead her properly she can become one of our best weapons... I know that being Death Eater is not an easy path, especially for a woman, much worst if she's a Gryffindor whose education hid her natural inclinations and beliefs. But she's a pureblood, and I'm sure that you –Bella, Pansy, Narcissa, Rose and Patricia... together with the wives that still have not joined us..." He looked directly at Snape's eyes, and the man had to look anywhere else... his wife wouldn't join, it was a battle lost before beginning. "You all will help her, because you, women, are my most precious treasure... my security of a future for our ideas... I value you all much more than I will ever be able of show you... oh! Here you are, Draco, please, sit down again... I'll mark her."  
  
A tall, thin witch walked through the group to meet the Lord in the middle. He smiled fondly and kissed the girl's hand. She kneeled down before him and showed him her bare forearm. He softly passed his wand over the white skin, mumbling something. The witch winced, just once, when he was done.  
  
"Now, my darling, take off your mask so your partners could see your lovely face"  
  
The girl got up, and all men could then imagine her perfect silhouette through the thick female Death Eater robes. Most glances remained fixed into her generous cleavage when her hand travelled up to take off her mask, but all eyes flew to her freckly face when the hood was removed to reveal the flaming reed hair of young Ginny Weasley.  
  
The last pureblood family was down. And any of the Death Eaters could repress a shiver.

* * *

A shiver went down Ginny's spine while crossing the doorway to Grimmauld Place, number Twelve. How could Snape do this in a daily basis was a mystery for her. As in answer to her desperation, she felt Draco's arm around her waist, supporting her.  
  
"Just tell them you're too tired... you've had a hell of an afternoon, you deserve some rest" He whispered against her ear, leaving there a lazy kiss.  
  
Ginny shivered again, squeezing herself against Draco's arm, but far too soon, he was away from her and both them were being welcomed by an ancient wizard.  
  
"Welcome to Grimmauld Place, Mr. Malfoy" headmaster Dumbledore greeted him, and Draco smiled up at him, sadly.  
  
"Please, just call me Draco... I don't want a thing in common with that... name" Dumbledore blinked curiously, but nodded.  
  
"As you wish, Draco. Please, Ginny, lead our guest to the dinning room for he could meet his soon to be partners"  
  
"Sorry, Headmaster, but I'm deathly tired... could you forgive me if I just go up to my bedroom? I think professor Snape could support Draco in his explanations... and I need some rest."  
  
"Of course, Ginny, Severus is already in... I'll tell them where you are, don't worry. Sweet dreams, dear" Yet again, Dumbledore blinked, while the girl climbed up the stairs. But he didn't gave it a second thought. He motioned Draco to follow him, into the biggest room in the Black House.  
  
As Dumbledore had said, Snape and much more people were waiting for him. All around a table full of food, were at least eight red heads and another one, black as pitch. None of them were eating, some were just talking to their nearest neighbour, while the others were just half asleep. All around the room, Draco recognized some faces, as that of the werewolf, looking through a window, or that bitch of Professor McGonagall reading happily next to the fire. But Draco couldn't help the smile at seeing next to the woman, his Mentor and friend, Severus Snape, comfortably placed near to the fire. Curled about him there was a short, thin girl who was clinging to his chest as if for dear life, her dark hair spread about them both as a blanket. They had their eyes closed, but just a fool would mistake them for asleep. Severus Snape, and his young wife were not people of easy sleeping, and Grimmauld Place was not exactly the safiest place in world for a Snape to sleep.  
  
At Draco's entry, each one of the heads in the room shot up to look at him. In no time, he found himself in the embrace of Snape, and under the curious glance of his over-intelligent wife. Apart from them, no one moved to greet him.  
  
"Where's my sister" Said the youngest Weasley.  
  
"Calm down, Ronald... Ginny's in her bedroom, she's so tired that I let her go to bed. I can understand it, all we are terribly tired after all. Let young Mr. Mal... Draco explain himself. We all have already heard Ginny's and Severus' explanations, let's listen to Draco's" said Dumbledore in a pacifist tone.  
  
Ron glanced over his shoulder at his best friend. Harry just shrug off, so Ron looked back at Draco, nodding. The blonde sighted and began his so memorized speech. This was going to be his biggest trial.  
  
"Well, I'm... tired. I don't see the sense of Voldemort's affairs anymore. I even doubt his reasons had once some sense. You all know that I took the Mark three years ago, when we all left school. And you all know how... naïve... I was back then... for Merlin's sake... I never saw the thesdrals!"  
  
"And now, it's too late... you, the Death Eaters killed them..." whispered a shaken girl with filthy hair, who was sitting between Potter and Weasley... she had a weird name... Lovegift or something like that. A Half blood. He nodded, repressing his disgust. Reminding himself that Mrs Snape was a Mud blood, a whole Mud blood and the Dark Lord never saw anything wrong about it.  
  
"Yeah... well, I was not there, anyway. But I learnt... I had to see to many terrorific things they... we had to do to please Him... I had to do things I never dared even dream... I..." very theatrically he hid his face into his arms, and as planned he felt a hand on his shoulder... the werewolf's. He had to close his eyes tightly for not hexing him into the next century.  
  
"Calm down, Draco. I know what are you feeling... the monster within you..."  
  
That was almost too much for Draco... was that inhuman beast comparing himself with the wonders of being Death Eater!!??  
  
"What I can't understand is... why Ginny?" Draco silently thanked to any deity listening for the help who distracted him enough, for not to kill Lupin- Instead he looked up at the man who had asked him that, hoping that his eyes were enough puffy and red after having pressed them so tightly. He was one of the red haired brats, maybe the first or the second, Draco couldn't tell.  
  
"Why Ginny? Because she dared stand up for me. She is the only one person Father would approve of, considering she's is a Pureblood, he thinks he can turn her out to their side..." Everybody in the room laughed loudly... unless the single person who was looking at Draco very suspiciously. "She's so sweet, so nice... anyone's been that nice to me, anybody has ever treated me so kindly... I know that I'm hardly more than a pet to care and protect for her, but I'm... I mean... I think I am... I am in lo..."  
  
"Don't Draco, you don't have to say it. I believe you" Yet again Draco thanked that deity, if he would had to say that damn sentence he would die in disgust... but too soon he was disgusted anyway, because with that statement, Draco Malfoy found himself in the bone breaking embrace of horrific Molly Weasley. As if that were the countersignal, everybody in the room came to them to hug him or shake his hand, introducing themselves and their status in the Order... very valuable information that Draco welcomed with a smile. Even that Potter and Ron thing hugged him claiming they know he was going to get into their side!!  
  
Oh, Draco had never felt so successful. He had got it! He had fooled them all and got into the Order. The smirk on Snape's lips confirmed it.  
  
But with all the blur of people, Draco didn't notice that there was someone missing.

* * *

Mrs Snape left the room before swallowing in hypocrisy. She knew certain things about her husband that she wasn't supposed to know, and see the true nature of any Death Eater, was one of them. Being married to a Slytherin had taught her the subtleness almost forbade in the Lion's Cage.  
  
Survive is always over all the things, and she knew that her husband would never, ever, harm her. First because it was forbidden in the Dark Lord's circle to hurt the wife and progeny, and second because she could feel his love, his true love in each caress.  
  
But she knew better than to hope that that love would protect her friends as well. Or make a real big step into the Light side as that of turning dangerous Malfoy Jr.  
  
Quietly she climbed up the stairs to Ginny and Luna's room. She could feel that the red haired was in danger just looking the iron eyes of Draco. He didn't love her, he couldn't even if he tried.  
  
She opened the door. Ginny was curled inside her bed, pretending she was asleep with a regular, soft breathing. Softly, Mrs Snape sat down next to her, and immediately Ginny stopped her act and got up.  
  
"Oh! Hermione! I'm so scared!!" she whimpered, throwing her arms around her friend.  
  
"Why so? Draco's safe now..." said the older girl, tentatively.  
  
"You know he's not... you know how they are... Slytherins..."  
  
"It has nothing to do with being Slytherin, dear. It has all to do with survive. I think I love Severus as much as he loves me, and you are intelligent, you should have noticed by now that he's... not truly where he appears to be..."  
  
"But he isn't supporting Him with all his might, either..."  
  
"I couldn't love him if he were... I can take that he's not in the Light side, but I couldn't take it if he were in the Dark."  
  
"So... Draco and Severus are just in the Shadows? And next to them are we..."  
  
"No, I can speak clearly about Severus, but I am not that sure about Draco. I know Severus would do anything for me... can you say the same about Draco?"  
  
Ginny remained silent, confirming Hermione's suspicion: Draco just needed Ginny, the heir from the last family resisting Voldemort. He would be happy.  
  
"Oh, dear..." she whispered, hugging Ginny.  
  
Crying the girl showed Hermione her left forearm, the Dark Mark drawn on it.  
  
"If I'm supposed to drag him to our side... how in the hell will I explain this!?"  
  
Hermione looked her arm seriously.  
  
"You won't. He will take it off."  
  
"What?! I don't... I don't dare..."  
  
"Maybe you not, but certainly I dare. He knows that hurting me is his fastest way of definitely losing Severus and a heir from the Snape family. He can't afford himself that."  
  
"Oh, Hermione! What will Draco say! He has so many plans!! He said he was going to marry me!!"  
  
"Ginny, Ginny... this shadows games is not made for you... don't you remember how much you suffered back when you were eleven? And that not even had been your choice... you're a Light creature... that Mark in your arm is an insult for your soul... Oh, Ginny... you must leave Draco walk away... He's already chosen his path... Severus offered him both sides, he could have chosen the Light but he chose the Dark..."  
  
"But he said he loved me!"  
  
Hermione remained silent for a while, then took Ginny's hands, never looking at her face.  
  
"Evil can't love. It's against its nature. Even if Draco feels something about you, it's only lust..." Tears were falling down Ginny's cheeks.  
  
"But... but professor Snape loves you... you said it!"  
  
"And I said too that he's not truly evil, not wholly Dark. That I could not love him if he were. That is the reason. In fact, the shadows is the best place for the most despaired loves... its softness and kindness will remain the soul sane... Severus and I fall in love in a time when we both were despaired. He gave me a reason to keep living and I gave him a reason to keep fighting."  
  
"I always thought you just fall in love, one day in the lab."  
  
"We did. The reason was that we were despaired. There's a reason for all true feelings, the others are fake, and the moment you know you love, you know why you do, even if it not even makes sense... Now I ask you... why do you love Draco?"  
  
"I... dunno" Ginny closed her eyes, understanding the meaning of her own words. "But... but I love him, Hermione!! I don't know why, but I do, and if my love is strong enough I'll be able of turn him!!"  
  
Hermione said nothing. At least it was not going to be that hard to take Malfoy out of her heart... if the true fatherly love of Severus hadn't brought Draco to the Light, much less Ginny's crush would.  
  
The true hard part was going to be take the Mark out of her arm.

* * *

That same night, when everybody was asleep in Number Twelve, and Mr Snape was entertaining his mind in the brewing of some nasty poison; Ms Weasley and Mrs Snape covered themselves in thick, warm black robes, and appareted from Grimmauld Place to Riddle's Village. Hermione walked decided to the front door of the Manor, dismissing the wards as soon as her quick mind discovered them. It was not really a problem reach Mr. Riddle... the problem was get out of his house alive.  
  
Ginny still was a bit impressed by the size and ostentation of Riddle's Manor, but Hermione had quite superadded it by attending in those same rooms numberless dinners and meetings, together with her husband.  
  
She did not wear the Dark Mark in her arm, she never accepted wholly the Dark side. But she accepted her husband's love with all what it implied... included some nasty consequences of his double (even triple!) life as spy.  
  
Fear was not a good thing in a place like that, and while Hermione had hidden all her fear deep in her gut, Ginny was a handful of trembling fears... not few of them about having to face... Tom... again... it unnerved her back when she was with Draco and with a reason that would please Him, much more now that she was only with Hermione.  
  
But when they reached the room next to where Mr. Riddle had his office, Hermione beckoned Ginny to sit down in a huge sofa.  
  
Ginny had never seen so many determination in her friend's face... well, she saw the same expression the day she told Harry and Ron about her wedding plans... but it didn't help it: Ginny would shiver before Hermione's little frame (even more little than herself!) the question was if Voldemort would shiver as well.  
  
They were going to discover...

* * *

Hermione knocked Mr. Riddle's door waiting for an immediate answer, though they hadn't told Riddle about their visit and the late of the hour. He already knew.  
  
"Please, come in, Mrs. Snape" the soft lazy voice greeted her, and Hermione obeyed without question.  
  
"Good night, Mr. Riddle"  
  
"Good night, dear... please, sit down... May I offer you something?"  
  
"Tea, please" Hermione knew better than to reject an offer from Mr Riddle. Politeness and modals were all to survive this field.  
  
"Ok... then it will be... one tea without tea nor sugar for you..." he flickered his wand and what he had described appeared before Hermione "Another one with two sugars and milk for me..." again he moved his wand "and... a third one, with milk but without sugar for Ms. Weasley, who's waiting outside... did I remember correctly both your tastes?"  
  
"Yes, sir, you're quite correct." Said Hermione, softly, and sure that the so needed relaxing tea had just appeared into her friend's hands. Hermione took a sip from her own mug, enjoying the taste and smell... Albus Dumbledore and Tom Riddle had ever offered her the best teas she had even know of. She never could tell apart what was better.  
  
"How's your husband, Mrs Snape? Alright I hope..."  
  
"Oh, he's very well, back in the Order, making some potions..."  
  
"Nothing too light, I hope..."  
  
"Of course not... I think it was some kind of venom."  
  
"You're away from it, hum? We all must protect your pregnancy..."  
  
"Don't worry, sir, my pregnancy is just OK"  
  
"How much long you've been now?"  
  
"Three months."  
  
"Sex?"  
  
"A girl. We'll call her after Severus mother. Adele-Marie"  
  
"Oh, wonderful...." Hermione smiled politely, at last with that should have ended the customary questions. She waited for his indication in that direction. "So... if you all are that well... what can I do for you? Can I help you somehow?"  
  
"Actually... yes, sir. You're the best placed person to help me with the only one problem that is bothering me"  
  
"How could I?"  
  
"Take off her Mark" she said calmly.  
  
Riddle stared at her with that maddening polite and attractive look.  
  
"Should I reckon you're referring to our little friend of outside?" Hermione just nodded. Tom still was staring her, but now with an amused look, and he laughed, with what he though to be a happy laugh, but that sent a shiver down Hermione's spine.  
  
"Hermione... may I call you Hermione? You are far too young to call you in that old-fashioned manner..."  
  
"Only if I can call you Tom, you don't look older than my husband."  
  
"Ah! But I'm twice Severus age... but of course, you can call me Tom, if I will take such a freedom with a married woman. And... I've always preferred being addressed this way by people who's that close to me..." he made a pause to let her wonder... by birth or by intelligence? "Ginevra always called me Tom... I always knew she's extraordinary brilliant, a very intelligent witch... though too susceptible to Slytherin's manipulation... that way you're far over her..."  
  
Now he was praising her, and that same moment, Hermione knew what he was going to ask from the favour.  
  
"Hermione... you know I can't let myself lose a... so valuable piece as a Heir from the Weasley clan in this war. You have a very comfortable view over both sides... You know that though Ancient Power of Families, with our new acquisition, lies all in our Side, Intelligence, Braveness and Strategy are in Dumbledore's Order. My people's braveness is limited, as you well know... intelligence is not a frequent gift, easy to loss in pure blooded families... they have cunning enough for strategy, but not the training Aurors have..."  
  
"They have a very powerful leader, charismatic and persuasive..."  
  
"As the Order has. A war between Dumbledore and me is useless, we're too equal. It's our people who will decide the results."  
  
"Then they'll win. They have Harry..."  
  
"Whose vantages over me disappeared the moment we made that blood partnership. He's quite mastered my powers, but he's far too young... he'll be a great Dumbledore... someday, and if he survives this war... Which (forgive me, I know about your friendship) I strongly hope does not happen... not while he's that stubborn, neglecting his dark side... Another vantage you have over your friends... you accepted you had a dark side that made you grey much before joining Hogwarts..."  
  
"I had a powerful reason..." said Hermione, seriously.  
  
"Yeah, you had...your father was a monster... hurt his little child, that soon..."  
  
"Well, I didn't notice that what he was doing was wrong until my third year at Hogwarts, and anyway... you took revenge for me."  
  
"I would had loved share that privilege with you, but I had to have enough with Severus... He was the one telling me that some perverted muggle was abusing his brilliant little witch... it had to hurt so much..."  
  
"It did." Hermione's throat felt terribly dry... opposed to her eyes that were really wet...  
  
"Come child, cry if you need it... you must let that venom come out of your heart... how could your dad do something so horrible? Make you feel so worthless?"  
  
"How could mum let him do it? She was so mad about me being around Harry and Ron, but she never tried to get dad away..." whispered Hermione, finally her eyes betraying her determination and bursting into tears... Tom got up and hugged her kindly.  
  
"My, my... calm down... you know why they did it... why your mother let your father abuse you..."  
  
"Didn't she love me?"  
  
"Oh, Hermione, you are so innocent when it comes to muggles... Listen, little one, and think carefully... could she ever love you? First when you did that many odd things, but then... learning you were a witch... they were too afraid to be able of respect or even love you... They were just worthless muggles, they never deserved so intelligent daughter. Oh, Hermione, I understand your pain, because it is my own... muggle borns existence in Hogwarts is dreadful, because we see how it is... how it is for muggle born children, opposed to those with ancient wizarding families... See Justin for instance, his parents are separated since they knew he was a wizard... Seamus Finnigan... his mum is mad, and his dad is stupid; Dean Thomas... he was abandoned by his father when he was so little... my own father abandoned me too!! Do you know anyone at Hogwarts with a muggle family wholly happy and normal?... Neither me. Then we saw the wizarding families... the Malfoys may not be the greatest example, but you could be sure that Lucius would give his life for saving his son or wife... Severus, he's a very private man, but he loves you desperately... See the Weasleys!! They are perfect, just perfect... Look at Harry... his mother (a witch, nonetheless a muggleborn witch) gift his live for him... that's love, true love..."  
  
Love. That word made Hermione remember why she was there. She wiped away her tears and looked at Tom.  
  
"I know what are you trying, but I won't join your side... that would destroy Severus...I am his equilibrium between both sides..."  
  
"Dear, I would love it if you joined me, and you wearing the Mark does not exactly mean that you were wholly dark... but you're confusing what I'm trying to. I'm just trying you to use your own cunning to see the truth. You were teach since your first day at Hogwarts that 'mine' was the wrong side, but... Dumbledore, the all powered Dumbledore, never noticed what was going on under his own nose, the state of mind of his most brilliant witch... having to return to a broken home each summer. Only Severus noticed, only he identified the sings ('the Slytherin signs of abuse' he thought, but knew better than to say it out loud, it wouldn't help him.) You know he told it first to Dumbledore, and then to me... what Dumbledore did?"  
  
"He talked to me..."  
  
"And you denied it."  
  
"I felt so filthy!"  
  
"And he let you feel that way... never suspecting your puffy eyes, blaming it on shame and indignation...you were a happy Gryffindor! No way for you being a mistreated child... what did I do, Hermione?"  
  
"You killed them."  
  
"No. I went to your house, and I made your father confess what he had done. Made your mother admit that she never protected you... Severus saw all of it... I only used the Avada Kedavra when they understood why they were being punished..."  
  
"Did you... did you discover...?"  
  
"Why they did it?" Tom helped, kindly.  
  
"Yes..." she whimpered.  
  
"Yes, I know... they told me."  
  
"Why?" she asked, anxiously  
  
"Fear. They were scared... of you."  
  
Hermione let her head fall to her chest, whimpering softly. Yet again, Tom hugged her, but this time she returned the hug. A comfortable silence fell between them both, and Tom kept it until Hermione was calmed.  
  
"I'll join you, Tom, but you know I can't be a whole Death Eater... it's against my nature..."  
  
"I know, don't worry. Any woman can kill in my nest, they are creatures of life, not death..."  
  
"...And if I do this it's because I need you to liberate Ginny of the Mark... she can't be yours, you know it."  
  
"I knew... but I needed to try, as I've told you, she was my weapon to get the Ancient Power..."  
  
"That would get out of balance the battle, and that would be dangerous... still, the single thing that united her to you was her crush on Draco, and that won't last. The day she noticed her mistake, she would not be a useful weapon anymore..."  
  
"But she would be inside my nest, and her powers, with or without her will would do as well."  
  
Hermione remained silent. The idea didn't appeal her any, but she was doing next to nothing for the Order, due to her state. Instead she could save for them Ginny, who was powerful and cunning... or so she hoped. She would survive in a darker degree of grey... her only concern was Severus... but with the coming daughter, the balance would be equilibrated again, so worries were not that big.  
  
What she didn't want to admit not even to herself, was that it was not Ginny, nor the Order because she was accepting Tom's hand, but because she owed him much more than what she owed those sleeping happily in Grimmauld place. She loved Harry and Ron, and for a time she would give her life for them... it was only when she learned that it wouldn't be the same if it where their place when she started to hate the Order and all of its hypocrisy...If they had loved her so much as for give the life for her, they wouldn't had leave her alone when she married Severus.  
  
Shakily, she got up, and with her hand in Tom's arm, she left the office.

* * *

Ginny had been drinking her tea and thinking all the time.  
  
Thinking that take that damn Mark had been her most stupid mistake.  
  
Now she had driven her best friend to a trap. She knew Hermione was one of the most powerful people in the Order, and had certain influences on Voldemort, but her powers wouldn't be so big as to release Ginny freely...  
  
Hermione had earned everybody's respect within the Order the hard way. They had showed themselves to be terribly unfair when it came to female members, they considered them the weak chain, and Hermione in her state of pregnancy, had been relegated several steps. On top of that was Snape... nobody knew why they had got married. Some theories said that they got together when Hermione's parents were killed, and after what she had said about despair, Ginny was ready to believe that theory.  
  
There were murmurs among the Order that Snape and his wife were not that loyal as they appeared to be. And there had been certain moments when Ginny caught Dumbledore looking at the couple worried, as if thinking that that was not what he had waited from the marriage.  
  
Ginny couldn't blame him. The way professor Snape had lead her to Draco... that was not exactly a move for the Light side.  
  
And still, Hermione believed him, trusted him.  
  
In that same moment, Hermione stepped into the room where Ginny was, her arm in Tom's. Ginny shivered, he was just as charming and handsome as he had been in her nightmares...  
  
"Get up, Ginny, and show him your arm."  
  
Shaking helplessly, Ginny obeyed her friend's order, and with a kind smile, Tom took her hand. Passing his wand over the skin while whispering a counter-spell, the tattoo disappeared.  
  
"This will suffice to release you, Ginny. You are free to leave my group... Pity. I hope you learned something from this little and short adventure, dear... that you at least could decide now what is your place... Hermione's right... the shadows is not your home. Wonder if I'll be able of attracting any other of your brothers... I need the Families Power, after all..." Hermione frowned and Tom smiled, indulgently. "... even if now braveness, intelligence and strategy are on my side, too..."  
  
With a polite smile, Tom sit down in the huge sofa, leaving the two friends say their goodbyes.  
  
Ginny hugged Hermione tightly, but she never returned the hug.  
  
"Get out, Ginny." She said, calmly.  
  
"What?!"  
  
"I said... get out, Weasley. Return to Number Twelve... and tell Draco and Severus to come here. Show them your arm so they understand what has happened."  
  
"But... but... aren't you coming with me?"  
  
"No. I'm taking the Mark this night."  
  
"But... but... it's evil... you said... your love..."  
  
"It does not matter what I've said, anymore. You can tell the others what you want... the truth or a pretty lie. They won't be seeing Draco, Severus or me again. And remember that if we two meet in a battle's field... we're enemies."  
  
Ginny looked at her far too surprised to move. Hermione not only was getting out of the light... she could lose even what made her keep alive: her love... Ginny couldn't believe that she were enough reason for such a gift, there must be another reason for Hermione's sacrifice, and Ginny should found it.  
  
"I said leave!!" shouted Hermione, pointing her wand at Ginny's throat "And made sure you do a good thing with this opportunity!!"  
  
Too afraid of bothering such a powerful witch, Ginny took her own wand and stepped back to Apparate.  
  
"We will be coming for you... I'm not dark... but neither you are...No matter what you think, we love you."  
  
With those words, Ginny disappeared.  
  
THE END  
  
Hope you all enjoyed it. Tell me what you think in a review, please...  
  
Iremione 


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